Document 6468224

How Art Impacts Learning By Anna Reyner, MA Registered Art Therapist
www.artandcreativity.blogspot.com
What makes ART such a great teaching tool?
Art engages children’s senses in open ended play and develops Cognitive,
Social, Emotional and Sensory-Motor skills. Art is a cooperative learning
experience that provides pleasure, challenge, and mastery. Through art,
children learn complex thinking skills and master many developmental tasks.
Art materials range from the simplest to the most complex. Young children can explore dozens of non-toxic art materials directly with their
hands or with dozens of different painting and clay tools. Older children can select art materials that offer greater complexity and challenge.
Art manufacturers provide an exciting range of tools to work with. Tree branches, shells, sponges, found objects or simple kitchen tools can
easily become art accessories as well. Each art material and accessory provides different skill development and has the potential for new
discoveries. A creative classroom offers a wide range of art materials and tools for exploration and learning.
The chart below is an Activity Analysis of 12 common art experiences. Each art experience is “broken down” or analyzed to determine what
primary cognitive, social, emotional and sensory-motor outcomes it most facilitates. While these areas certainly do overlap, this chart outlines
one main skills developed within each domain. Use it as a starting point for analyzing other art ideas, including your own “all time favorites.”
Activity Analysis of 12 Common Art Ideas Art Activity
This Art Activity
teaches……
Activity Analysis
These Developmental Skills
Open Ended Drawing
Easel Painting
Bioputty
Cognitive
planning & adapting
decision making
cause and effect understanding
Social
impulse control
works independently
take turns
Emotional
individuality
self expression
stress release
Handmade Art Journal
Crayon Resist Picture
Collage
Group Murals
Scrap Wood Sculptures
Craft Stick Picture Frames
Paper Mache
BioColor Ornaments
Watercolor Coffee Filters
creative thinking
cause and effect understanding
plans, predicts, adapts actions
large scale planning
divergent thinking
spatial relations skills
problem solving
follows multi-step directions
cause and effect understanding
shares art and stories
focuses
shares materials
group cooperation
shares materials
makes giveaway gift
delays gratification
makes giveaway gift
impulse control
self expression
sensory pleasure
makes choices
adapts to group
flexibility
self discipline
sensory implosion
makes choices
emotional release
Sensory-Motor
fine motor skills
fine & gross motor skills
tactile stimulation
eye-hand-brain
coordination
spatial relations
visual discrimination
gross motor / sweeps paint
small motor grasp
responds to structure
sensory integration
works in 3-dimensions
controls fluid materials
Integrating Art into Literacy, Science & Math Art is an outstanding tool for teaching, not only for teaching developmental skills but also for teaching academic subjects such as math,
science, and literacy. The most effective learning takes place when children have a hands-on learning experience. When children study any
learning content, they learn best and retain knowledge longer if they do an art activity to reinforce their learning. This information has been
recognized and used by good teachers since the time of Confucius, when he said:
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
Art & Literacy Art activities are a great way to promote literacy and language development. Children who draw pictures about stories they have read improve
their reading comprehension, story understanding and motivation to read new materials they have not seen before. (Critical Links). Art tools
provide early learners with pre-writing experiences, as they grasp tools that later help them hold a pencil for writing. Art develops expressive
and reflective skills that enhance writing, and also promotes print awareness, spatial relations skills, visual literacy, and verbal creativity.
Art teaches these literacy concepts:
Art Activity
Group Murals
Open Ended Drawing
Easel Painting
Handmade Art Journal
Art Process
Children select mural theme then paint one large artwork cooperatively
Child works within boundaries of paper, organizing content and composition
Child uses gross motor skills to sweep brush and control fluid materials
Using papers and collage create journal cover, pages and binding.
Literacy Concept
Self expression, narrative story development
Spatial relations
Visual literacy
Book knowledge and appreciation
Art & Science Art and science go hand in hand. Artists materials have scientific properties or physical attributes, many of which undergo a “change of state”
when mixed with other art materials or left to dry. Science concepts taught during Preschool years include 1) Cause and effect 2) Properties
of Materials 3) Changes of State. (Kilmer, S.J. 1995) These concepts are all easily explored with art materials. In later years, science
standards include an “Investigation and Experimentation” category that also readily adapts to art. You can also add a science component to
any art activity by taking out magnifiers and describing physical attributes, by using your five senses to experience a clay or paint, or by
predicting what will happen when combining different art materials – such as crayon resist or BioPutty. Do you think the paint will cover the
crayon? Do you think the BioColor will become slippery putty? Why or why not? What is your prediction, or hypothesis? Science involves
keen observation and inspires curiosity and questions.
Art teaches these science concepts:
Art Activity
Watercolor Coffee Filter
Crayon Resist Drawing
"BioPutty"
Paper Mache
Art Process
Drops of liquid color expand, absorb, evaporate (dry) on porous material
Wax crayon (solid) resists Watercolor (Liquid). Materials repel each other.
Wax is “insoluble” to liquid.
Liquid BioColor mixes with BioPutty solution and changes to solid.
Molecules in BioColor bond with molecules in solution.
Torn paper & paper mache paste layered onto a fixed form dry and conform
to that same shape. Absorbent, soluble materials transform into a solid layer.
Science Concept
Change of State
Properties of Materials
Cause & Effect
Change of State
Art & Math Art can be thought about in a mathematical way. In early years children work with simple collage materials and beads which can teach them
numbers, positive and negative space, classification, and sequencing and pattern recognition. Tangrams can be introduced, and art journals
can become creative number or shape books. Older children create drawings, paintings and 3-D models of more complex geometry forms as
well as tessellations, fractals and Fibonacci numbers. “Math is not just about numbers, formulas and logic, math is also about structure,
symmetry, shape and beauty,” says University of Colorado math professor Carla Farsi. “Conversely, art is not only about emotion, color and
aesthetics, but also about rhythm, patterns and problem solving.”
Art teaches these math concepts:
Art Activity
Art Process
Math Concept
Collage
Glue paper and collage materials onto paper in composition of your choice Sequencing, rhythm, pattern
Scrap Wood Sculptures Glue wood scraps together to create abstract 3-D sculpture, dry then paint. Pattern, volume, classification
Craft Stick Picture FramesPlace craft sticks into square or rectangle, glue corners, dry then paint.
Shape, structure
Open clear ornament and sprinkle inside both sides with BioColor shimmer
BioColor Ornaments
powder, followed by. 3-4 colors BioColor. Close and shake. Dry & hang. Volume, symmetry
Conclusion There’s so much learning that takes place as a child creates art. Not only do children development eye-hand coordination, but their brain
connects to their visual and motor development in ways that help children master real life skills. Art develops our imaginations and helps us
discover new ways to process information. The problem solving, critical thinking, planning and adaptation inherent in art making is much more
complex than most people realize. The myriad of art materials, and recycled objects that are used in art provide new and different learning as
they introduce new problems to solve and new challenges to creative thinking.
Compliments of Discount School Supply. Contact Anna Reyner, Director of Training, at areyner@discountschoolsupply.com
Or phone 1-800-836-9515 for a free catalog.